Thermal motor.



No. 772,035. I PATENTED 001-11, 1904.

W. M. FULTON.

THERMAL MOTOR. APPLIQATIO'N FILED APR. 29. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

%%2@. v fid/ii UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.,

PATENT OFFICE.

THERMAL MOTOR- SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,035, dated October 11, 1904.

Application filed April 29, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WEs'roN M. FULTON, a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thermal Motors, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to thermal motors, and more particularly to the element or member thereof which responds to variations in atmospheric temperature and to the combination of such member with other elements whereby useful work may be performed.

In my pending application, Serial No. 151,666, filed April 8, 1903, Ihave shown an expansible and collapsible vessel having a vibratory member whichis protected from the influence of atmospheric pressure, but which moves in response to variations in atmospheric temperature, the movements being employed to perform any useful work in connection with heat controlled or operated mechanism. In the device shown in that application reliance is placed upon the expansion and contraction of the expansive agent contained solely within the vessel itself to impart the movements to the vibratory member. In many instances, however, it is found desirable to obtain a greater range of movement than will result from the expansion and contraction of the expansive agent contained within the vessel without increasing the vessel to an inconvenient size. Moreover, it is essential if the full effect ofthe expansion and contraction of the vessel is to be utilized that such expansion and contraction take place along the line of one dimension of the vessel.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the expansible and collapsible vessel shall be subjected to the influence of a larger body of expansive fluid than can be contained within the vessel itself and to compel this large body of expansive agent to act along the line of one dimension of the expansible and collapsible vessel.

With this object in view the invention consists in a vessel capable of expanding along the line of one dimension only combined with a reseryoir having rigid walls, said vessel and reservoir being in open communication with each other and having a suitable expansive graph with this Serial No. 154,863. (No model.)

agent (preferably a fluid) hermetically sealed therein. Various forms of expansive agents may be employed, such as a liquid, a gas, a gas and a liquid capable of absorbing the gas, a vapor, saturated or otherwise, or a gas and a vapor, or any combination of these.

The invention also consists in certain specific details, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

One form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which is a sectional elevation of a thermoinvention applied thereto. In the drawing, 1 is a reservoir of any suit able size and form, resting upon supports 2 2 and having rigid walls, which will not yield or give under the influence of. the expansive agent contained therein. Mounted upon the reservoir 1 is a vessel 3, having rigid end wall 4: and collapsible side walls 5. These side walls 5 are constructed of a material, as sheet metal or celluloid, which will not give or bulge laterally, but will only yield along lines parallel with the vessels axis. This is accomplished by so corrugating the material of the wall that the entire wall shall be made up of. parallel portions substantially normal to p the line of collapse of the vessel and curved portions connecting said parallel portions, the whole being constructed so as to be free from angles which would constitute lines of wear and cause the vessel to crack under use. Sheet metalsuch as tin, sheet-brass, or sheetsteelis peculiarly adapted for; use in the construction of the side walls 5, as it will not bulge laterally,,as will leather, silk, &c., and yet will yield readily in a longitudinal direction when corrugated as shown. The vessel 3 and the reservoir 1 are in open communication through port 6, and the expansive agent employed is hermetically sealed within the reservoir and vessel.

Pivoted to any suitable support, as to standard 7 is a lever 8, which is operatively connected to the rigid end wall I of the vessel 3 by a link 9. Now if the reservoir 1 and the vessel 3 contain any suitable expansive agent of the general character hereinbefore indicated-as, for example, alcoholthe total expansion and contraction of the agent contained in both the reservoir and vessel will be communicated to the rigid end wall 4, thereby causing the vessel 3 to expand or contract on lines parallel with its axis, the extent of this movement being greatly increased by the large volume of the reservoir. The vibrations of the rigid wall 4 will be communicated to the lever 8, which may be connected to an ysuitable mechanism for performing Work. By way of illustration it is here shown as the operative means in a thermograph.

A cylinder 10 is mounted to be revolved by suitable clock mechanism and having a sheet of paper properly ruled to indicate the hour and the degree, as is common in thermographs. The lever 8 is provided with a pen 11, resting upon the paper of cylinder 10 and recording the movements of the lever 8 on the revolving surface, as indicated by the line 12.

here movements of lever 8 are to be utilized, as in this case, in a device for indicating the variations'of temperature, a liquid should be employed as the expansive agent rather than a gas, a vapor, or a gaseous or vaporous mixture, because liquids .are practically noncompressible, and hence would remain unaffected by variations of atmospheric pressure; but in various other devices it will be found advantageous to employ a gas or a vapor, either alone or in combination with each other or with a liquid.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination of a reservoirhaving rigid walls, with a collapsible vessel having non-angular, corrugated, sheet metal side walls, supported on said reservoir, and a rigid end wall, a port or opening between said reservoir and vessel, an expansive agent in said reservoir and vessel, the volume of the reservoir being larger than that of the vessel,

whereby the change in volume of the fluid in the reservoir acts along the line of traverse of said vessel toincrease its extension and contraction, a standard on said reservoir, a

vibratory member fulcrumed on said standard, a'lmk operatively connecting the movable end wall and said member, and a revoluble cylinder on said reservoir contacting with along the line of traverse of said vessel to increase its extension and contraction, a vibratory member connected to said rigid end wall, a revoluble cylinder located on said reservoir and contacting with the vibratory member.

3. The combination of a reservoir having rigid Walls, with a collapsible vessel having non-angular, corrugated, sheet metal side walls supported on said reservoir and a rigid end wall, a port or opening between said reservoir or vessel, a liquid in said reservoir and vessel, the volume of the reservoir being larger than that of the vessel, whereby the change of volume of the liquid in the reservoir acts along the line of traverse of said vessel to increase its extension and contraction, a standard on said reservoir, a vibratory member fulcrumed on said standard, a link operatively connecting the movable end wall and said member, and intermediate the ends of said member, and a revoluble cylinder on said reser voir contacting with the vibratory member.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WESTON M. FULTON.

i/Vitnesses:

J. F. VooRHEEs, HUGH M. TATE. 

